Chennai Super Kings: IPL Team Profile, Squad, Records, Titles & History
Explore Chennai Super Kings (CSK) — five-time IPL champions and the league’s most consistent franchise. Follow CSK’s squad, IPL 2026 campaign, owners, Chepauk home venue, the MS Dhoni legacy, records, season-by-season results and the famous MI rivalry.
Chennai Super Kings at a Glance
Chennai Super Kings are the IPL’s benchmark of consistency — five titles, the best playoff qualification record in league history, and a fanbase, the “Yellow Army,” that turns every Chepauk matchday into a festival.
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Chennai Super Kings |
| Short Name / Code | CSK |
| League | Indian Premier League (IPL) |
| Owner | Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited |
| Founded | 2008 (IPL’s inaugural season) |
| City | Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Home Ground | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (Capacity: ~38,000) |
| IPL Titles | 5 — 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023 |
| Champions League T20 | 2010, 2014 |
| Captain (IPL 2026) | Ruturaj Gaikwad |
| Head Coach | Stephen Fleming |
| Team Colours | Yellow & Blue |
| Fanbase | The “Yellow Army” — one of cricket’s loudest fan cultures |
| Consistency Record | Playoff qualification in almost every season contested |
Who Are the Chennai Super Kings?
The Chennai Super Kings are one of the original eight IPL franchises, representing Chennai since the league’s inaugural 2008 season. Owned by Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited, CSK built their identity around continuity — backing a settled core of players for years rather than chasing wholesale change, a philosophy masterminded by captain MS Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming.
CSK won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011, then — after serving a two-year suspension in 2016–17 — returned in 2018 to claim a fairy-tale third crown in their comeback season. Further titles followed in 2021 and 2023, making CSK five-time champions and the joint-most successful franchise in IPL history. No team has qualified for the playoffs as consistently as the Super Kings.
Chepauk’s spinning, turning surfaces and the deafening Yellow Army make CSK formidable at home. Track the franchise through the IPL 2026 season and see how CSK’s stars perform in ICC T20 World Cup 2026 duty for India.
CSK’s Ownership, Captains & Coaching Staff
Ownership
Owned by Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited (originally India Cements). In 2022, CSK became India’s first unicorn sports franchise by market valuation.
Captains
MS Dhoni captained from 2008 to 2023, winning all five titles. Ruturaj Gaikwad took over the leadership in 2024, with Dhoni continuing as the squad’s guiding presence.
Coaching Staff
Stephen Fleming, head coach since 2009, is the longest-serving coach in IPL history — the cornerstone of CSK’s stability-first model.
Chennai Super Kings’ IPL Titles & Season-by-Season Record
CSK have reached a record ten IPL finals, winning five championships across three different decades of the tournament.
IPL Finals Record
| Season | Opponent | Result | Captain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Rajasthan Royals | Lost by 3 wickets | MS Dhoni |
| 2010 | Mumbai Indians | Won by 22 runs | MS Dhoni |
| 2011 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Won by 58 runs | MS Dhoni |
| 2012 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Lost by 5 wickets | MS Dhoni |
| 2013 | Mumbai Indians | Lost by 23 runs | MS Dhoni |
| 2015 | Mumbai Indians | Lost by 41 runs | MS Dhoni |
| 2018 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Won by 8 wickets | MS Dhoni |
| 2019 | Mumbai Indians | Lost by 1 run | MS Dhoni |
| 2021 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Won by 27 runs | MS Dhoni |
| 2023 | Gujarat Titans | Won by 5 wickets (DLS) | MS Dhoni |
Recent Seasons
| Season | Position | Highlight |
|---|---|---|
| IPL 2022 | 9th | Rare off year during transition |
| IPL 2023 | Champions | Fifth title — beat Gujarat Titans in a rain-hit final |
| IPL 2024 | 5th | Just missed playoffs on net run rate; Ruturaj Gaikwad named captain |
| IPL 2025 | Playoffs | Strong campaign built around a settled Indian core |
| IPL 2026 | Follow the season live — schedule, points table and results updated on IndCricLeague. | |
Chennai Super Kings Squad — IPL 2026
CSK’s core for IPL 2026 — experience at the top, Indian seam depth, and spin twins for Chepauk.
| Player | Role | Country | Player | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruturaj Gaikwad (c) | Batter | India | MS Dhoni (wk) | Wicket-Keeper | India |
| Ravindra Jadeja | All-Rounder | India | Shivam Dube | All-Rounder | India |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Pace Bowler | Sri Lanka | Noor Ahmad | Spinner | Afghanistan |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | Spinner | India | Khaleel Ahmed | Pace Bowler | India |
| Devon Conway (wk) | Wicket-Keeper | New Zealand | Rahul Tripathi | Batter | India |
| Vijay Shankar | All-Rounder | India | Sam Curran | All-Rounder | England |
| Jamie Overton | All-Rounder | England | Anshul Kamboj | Pace Bowler | India |
| Gurjapneet Singh | Pace Bowler | India | Shreyas Gopal | Spinner | India |
Watch for CSK youngsters pushing for India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad — the IPL remains the final audition for national selection.
Chennai Super Kings’ Key Players
MA Chidambaram Stadium — Chepauk, CSK’s Fortress
CSK play at the MA Chidambaram Stadium — lovingly called Chepauk — one of India’s oldest cricket grounds (est. 1916) with a capacity of around 38,000. Its dry, turning surfaces favour spin, which is why CSK have traditionally stacked their side with world-class spinners and wily all-rounders.
Matchdays at Chepauk are famous for the Yellow Army — a sea of yellow jerseys, the “Whistle Podu” anthem echoing around the ground, and one of the most passionate fan cultures in world sport. CSK’s brand value consistently ranks among the highest of any IPL franchise, and the team remains the pride of Tamil Nadu.
CSK Records, Stats & the MI El Clásico
Most Finals Appearances
CSK have played a record ten IPL finals — five more than any other franchise except Mumbai Indians.
The IPL El Clásico
MI vs CSK is the league’s biggest rivalry. CSK beat MI in the 2010 final, but MI won their three final meetings (2013, 2015, 2019) — including the heart-breaking 1-run finish in 2019.
The 2018 Fairytale
Suspended for two seasons, CSK returned in 2018 and won the title immediately — the greatest comeback story in IPL history.